SYDNEY Thunder have become the first team to confirm their place in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) finals after picking up a four wicket win over the Melbourne Stars last night.

After restricting the Stars to just 9/108, the Thunder then reached the target with two balls to spare.

Trouble came early for the Stars.

They fell to 1/12 on the penultimate ball of the second over, and things never really got better from there. Their biggest partnership of the innings was the 29 run seventh wicket partnership, with most of the partnership not reaching double figures.

Sophie Reid’s 21 was the pick of the individual innings for the Stars, with Kim Garth making one less.

Meanwhile for the Thunder Hannah Darlington picked up a trio of wickets, while Chamari Athapaththu took two of them and Sam Bates and Taneale Peschel took one each.

In reply, things did not go all the Thunder’s way, but ultimately with a target that low to reach, it was only a matter of time before they did.

They fell to 1/12 then 2/12 within the first half of the third over, then 3/15 just under two overs later.

Eventually, a 49-run fifth-wicket partnership got things back on track, and although they cut things fine, they came away with the desire result.

Tahlia Wilson was the pick of the batters for the Thunder with 33, while Anika Learoyd made 31 not out.

Meanwhile for the Stars Marizanne Kapp was destructive early and picked up a trio of wickets, while Garth, Sophie Day and Maisy Gibson picked up a wicket each.

While the result locks in a finals berth for the Thunder, it just about eliminates the Stars from finals contention. They do not have enough matches in hand to make up the difference needed to sneak into finals.